Excitement in a Düsseldorf hotel: a firearm is found in a guest room, dozens of special forces approach and comb the entire building for hours. A 40-year-old is arrested.
Düsseldorf – After a weapon was found and a large-scale police operation with numerous special forces in a Düsseldorf hotel, an arrest warrant has been issued against a 40-year-old suspect.
A spokeswoman for the public prosecutor’s office for the German press agency said the man was accused of violating the weapons law and was in custody.
The 40-year-old, who is said to have been a hotel guest, was arrested on Friday. According to the police, he is assigned a firearm that was discovered and secured in a hotel room. The man was questioned. The investigators initially did not provide any further information about the suspect and the weapon.
SEK and armored car
The police were alerted on Friday by a witness reference to a person with a gun. “Shortly after the start of the mission, an acute danger situation could not be ruled out,” explained the investigators. Several special task forces (SEK) arrived in the early afternoon and combed the cleared building with numerous officers for hours. Units with special vehicles – including an armored car of the “Survivor” type – drove up. The surrounding streets were cordoned off extensively.
Other possible suspects were also mentioned during the operation in the hotel. It must be clarified whether there are any other suspects there, it said on Friday. The NRW Interior Ministry had also been informed, said a spokeswoman.
According to information from security circles, the fact that the police came with such a massive contingent was because the man was suspected of having a weapon. In addition, the arrested person was probably already known to the police. The Düsseldorf police, however, said that the arrested person had “not yet appeared in the police force”.
Suspicious suitcase
During their searches, the investigators came across a suspicious suitcase. Explosives experts took a close look at the luggage. The police gave the all-clear on Saturday: there were clothes and travel accessories in the suitcase, said a police spokesman. He did not provide any information about where the suitcase was found or who the owner is.
According to the police, most of the emergency services had withdrawn on Saturday morning. “The measures at the hotel are largely complete,” said the spokesman. However, individual rooms are still sealed for further investigations.
According to the police spokesman, dozens of guests and staff had to leave the affected hotel in the Oberbilk district on Friday. Everyone was brought to safety. The emergency services and the hotel looked after the guests and took care of the accommodation. dpa
